Marshfield school building policy nailed down

Following detailed consideration and two weeks of edits, the Marshfield school committee approved a new policy for the boatbuilding/building construction program at Marshfield High School.School officials took a closer look at the process surrounding the program and the projects on which the students work follow...

By Mary Jane Hanron

Wicked Local

By Mary Jane Hanron

Posted Mar. 20, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Mar 20, 2013 at 8:12 PM

By Mary Jane Hanron

Posted Mar. 20, 2013 at 12:01 AM
Updated Mar 20, 2013 at 8:12 PM

Marshfield

» Social News

Following detailed consideration and two weeks of edits, the Marshfield school committee approved a new policy for the boatbuilding/building construction program at Marshfield High School.

School officials took a closer look at the process surrounding the program and the projects on which the students work following a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for a list of past projects by a resident. The private property of town employees were on the list of past projects dating back to 2008.

The policy was approved in a 4-0 vote at the March 12 school committee meeting (member Dennis Scollins was not present).

Included in the policy were selection guidelines for projects to be undertaken by students, the intention of advertising the service publicly and periodically and the program’s premier purpose of offering students hands on opportunities to develop skills.

According to superintendent Scott Borstel the policy states Grelund or the program instructor will select projects to provide students with appropriate experience. Financial need may be considered. School, town or community projects will have priority over private property.

Copies of applications will be kept on file as public records, dated when received, but undertaken based on student educational need.

As committee members raised points about documentation and record keeping, Borstel said Grelund was primarily an educator. “I do not want to burden him with clerical duties,” Borstel said.

Borstel also said he would recommend any public employee receiving services from the program should disclose the information in a letter to the Town Clerk in accordance with Massachusetts ethic laws. The disclosure was the responsibility of the recipient of services rather than the school district.

During the February 27 discussion about the issue, several members raised concerns about the policy, which was developed by town counsel Robert Galvin. Borstel explained March 12 that town counsel routinely advised the committee on policy issues though if the committee preferred, school counsel James Toomey could review it for an additional fee.

At the previous meeting Scollins had posed questions about the viability of the policy and asked if the committee could review similar contracts that had been used and had a record of success in other towns or school districts.

Instructor Tom Grelund who oversees the program, which has been in the school for 40 years, prepared a list of recipients of student services offered through the class during the last seven years. The document that was released in response to a freedom of information request (FOIA) included 38 projects, nine of which had been done at private residences all belonging to current or former town employees.

When the issue was first presented to the school committee Borstel said of past practices, “the way jobs were found for the students was strictly ‘word of mouth.’ But it is a different world today than 40 years ago and it is a good idea to formalize the steps for everyone’s knowledge.”